Major
Major is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. Background When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicators, major is one rank senior to that of an army captain, and one rank subordinate or below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is considered the most junior of the field officer ranks. Majors are typically assigned as specialised executive or operations officers for battalion-sized units of 300 to 1,200 soldiers. In some militaries, notably France and Ireland, the rank of major is referred to as commandant, while in others it is known as captain-major. When used in hyphenated or combined fashion, the term can also imply seniority at other levels of rank, including general-major or major general, denoting a low-level general officer, and sergeant major, denoting the most senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) of a military unit. The term major can also be used with a hyphen to denote the leader of a military band such as in pipe-major or drum-major. Historically, the rank designation develops in English in the 1640s, taken from French majeur, in turn a shortening of sergent-majeur, which at the time designated a higher rank than at present. The rank of major is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures, such as the Pennsylvania State Police, New York State Police, New Jersey State Police, and several others. As with a military major, this rank is most commonly the next rank above captain. The rank is equivalent to an inspector or commander in other large police departments or to the UK rank of superintendent. Links to major ranks by country officer being promoted from captain to major]] Alphabetically sorted by name of country: *Major (Canada) *Major (Czech Republic) *Maggiore (Italy) *Majuri (Finland) *Major (Germany) *Tagmatarchis (Greece) *Major (India) *Majoras (Lithuania) *Mejar (Malaysia) *Majoor (the Netherlands) *Major (Poland) *Major (Slovenia) *Major (Sri Lanka) *Major (Sweden) *Major (United Kingdom) *Major (United States) *Binbaşı (Turkey) Insignia of air force majors File:Fuerza Aerea Argentina - Mayor.svg| Argentina File:Major-vertical fab.gif| Brazil File:Naramenica službene odore bojnika HRZ i PZO.svg| Croatia File:RDAF Maj.svg| Denmark File:Georgia Air Force OF-4.png| Georgia File:LD B 51 Major.svg| Germany File:Mayor pdh au.png| Indonesia File:14- سرگرد--IRIAF.png| Iran File:IDF rav seren silver-2.svg| Israel File:IT-Airforce-OF-3.png| Italy File:Mayor FAM.GIF| Mexico File:RNAF Maj.svg| Netherlands File:Major Lotnicze.png| Poland File:Major t.jpg| Portugal File:TR-AİRFORCE-OF3.gif| Turkey File:US Air Force O4 shoulderboard.svg| United States Insignia of army majors File:Australian Army OF-3.svg| Australia File:04.maj Bd.jpg| Bangladesh File:Army-BEL-OF-03.svg| Belgium File:Major Exército-V.gif| Brazil File:Cdn-Army-Maj(OF-3)-2014 - Copy.svg| Canada File:Rank insignia of mayor of the Colombian Army.svg| Colombia File:Army-HRV-OF-03.svg| Croatia File:CzArmy 2011 OF3-Major shoulder.svg| Czech republic File:Mayorwikifixed.svg| Dominican Republic File:EgyptianArmyInsignia-Major.svg| Egypt File:ES-Army-OF3.png| Estonia File:Majuri_kauluslaatta.svg| Finland File:Georgia Army OF-4.png| Georgia File:HD H 51 Major FJg.svg| Germany File:Army-GRE-OF-03.svg| Greece File:Rank Army Hungary OF-03.svg| Hungary File:IFRmajor.PNG| Iceland File:Major of the Indian_Army.svg| India File:Mayor pdh ad.png| Indonesia File:IDF rav seren.svg| Israel File:IT-Army-OF3.svg| Italy File:Sargord.png| Iran File:Major of Malaysian Army.png| Malaysia File:Major-arm.png| Macedonia File:Nl-landmacht-majoor.svg| Netherlands File:Major Pak Army.jpg| Pakistan File:Army-POL-OF-03.svg| Poland File:16 - Major.svg| Portugal File:RO-Army-OF3.png| Romania File:RAF A F3Maj after2010.png| Russia File:SL-Army-OF3_Major.PNG| Sri Lanka File:CHE OF3 Maj.svg| Switzerland File:ROCA-MAJ.jpg| Taiwan File:RTA OF-3 (Major).svg| Thailand File:Turkey-army-OF-3.svg| Turkey File:British Army OF-3.svg| United Kingdom File:Army-USA-OF-03.svg| United States File:US Army O4 shoulderboard rotated.svg| United States ( ) Insignia of naval infantry majors File:IDF rav seren gold-2.svg| Israel File:British Royal Marines OF-3.svg| United Kingdom File:US Marine O4 shoulderboard-2.svg| United States Marine Corps Ranks equivalent to major by country Alphabetically sorted by name of country or sovereign state *Jagran (جګړن) (Afghanistan) *China **少校 (Shao xiao) (PR China) **少校 (Shaoxiao) (Republic of China/Taiwan) *Bojnik (Croatia) *Ra'Ed (رائد) (Egypt and most Arab League member countries) *Commandant (France) *Germany: **Sturmbannführer (Schutzstaffel and paramilitary organisations of Nazi Germany) *Tagmatarchis (Ταγματάρχης) (Greece & Cyprus) *Őrnagy (Hungary) *Mayor (Indonesia) *Sargord (سرگرد) (Iran) *Commandant (Ireland) *Rav seren (רב סרן) (Israel) *少佐 (Shousa) (Japan) *Mejar (Malaysia) *Хошууч (Mongolia) *w:ko:소좌 (North Korea) *Magat (Philippines) *Major (Serbia) *소령 (South Korea) *Comandante (Spain) *Binbaşı (Turkey) *Thiếu Tá (Vietnam) File:Bojnik.jpg|Croatia (Bojnik) File:IDF rav seren.svg|Rav seren - Army (Israel) File:IDF rav seren silver-2.svg|Rav seren - Air Force (Israel) File:IDF rav seren gold-2.svg|Rav seren - Navy (Israel) See also *List of comparative military ranks References Category:Military ranks Category:Military ranks of Singapore